Ornery is informal American English — especially Southern and country talk — for someone (or an animal) who is stubborn, a bit angry, and likely to do the opposite of what you want. An ornery mule; an ornery neighbour who will not sign the form. It can sound fond as well as cross: “that ornery old man” may be said with a half-smile.

Ornery is informal American Englishornery是美式非正式英文 — especially Southern and country talk尤其是美國南方和鄉下的說法 — for someone (or an animal)用來形容一個人（或動物） who is stubborn, a bit angry, and likely to do the opposite of what you want很固執、有點壞脾氣，而且很可能故意跟你唱反調。An ornery mule像ornery mule（倔驢）; an ornery neighbour who will not sign the form不肯簽表格的ornery neighbour（拗鄰居）。It can sound fond as well as cross它可以聽起來又寵愛又生氣: “that ornery old man” may be said with a half-smile「that ornery old man」可能是帶著半個微笑說出來的。

Though actually, it began as a rushed, dialect way of saying ordinary. First it meant “plain, nothing special,” then “rather poor or unpleasant,” and only later “difficult and contrary.” British speakers almost never use it; they would say stubborn, awkward, or cantankerous.

Though actually不過其實, it began as a rushed, dialect way of saying ordinary它一開始只是ordinary這個字方言、匆促唸出來的變形。First it meant最初的意思是 “plain, nothing special,”「普通、沒什麼特別」 then後來變成 “rather poor or unpleasant,”「相當差或不討喜」 and only later一直到後來才變成 “difficult and contrary.”「難搞又愛唱反調」。British speakers almost never use it英國人幾乎不用這個字; they would say他們會說 stubborn, awkward, or cantankerousstubborn、awkward，或cantankerous。

It still sounds spoken and folksy, not like a school-book word.

It still sounds spoken and folksy它聽起來還是很口語、很鄉土, not like a school-book word不像教科書會出現的字。